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Finally it’s over. No more nasty campaign advertisements, spam
emails or automated phone calls. Now that the 2010 midterm
elections are over, we can return to some sense of normalcy.

However, there are countless lessons that entrepreneurs and
startups can learn from this election season.

As distinct as the subjects of politics and business may be from
each other, they both demonstrate similar lessons about how a
politician or entrepreneur can go from nothing to something. Here
are 5 lessons that entrepreneurs learned from the midterm
elections:

1. Money Doesn’t Guarantee Success

As much as we may want to believe that money is power, it is not
always true. Whether it is investing $100 million into a
political campaign or receiving $50 million from venture
capitalists, big money doesn’t guarantee success. On the
political front, Meg Whitman, gubernatorial candidate of
California, and Linda McMahon, Connecticut’s senate candidate,
both pumped millions of their own dollars into their campaigns
and lost their respective elections. Conversely, search
engine company Cuil received an estimated $33 million in
venture capital funding when it was hyped as the next “Google
killer.” However, within 4 years, the company admitted defeat and
shut down. The money is only as strong as the message. If your
value proposition doesn’t align with your customers, or voters,
you may be just wasting your money.

2. Experience Isn’t Always a Good Thing

We grow up hearing that experience will lead to success. This is
not always the case. Many of the winners of Tuesday’s election
won on the fact that they were not “career politicians.” Tea
Party candidates prided themselves on not being a “Washington
insider,” and that message resonated with voters. Newbie
entrepreneurs should take note that experience can often
hinder success. An adage that entrepreneurs often state is
that “if I knew it was going to be this hard, I would have never
pursued it.” However, many of those same entrepreneurs go on to
create successful companies. Experienced business people know the
struggles, road blocks and difficulties and they often stray away
from opportunities because of it. First time entrepreneurs can
use their naivety to their benefit. They will do things that they
didn’t know they weren’t supposed to, and in the process,
hopefully create an amazing startup.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Drastically Challenge the
Norm

Challenging the status quo often seems ill-advised; however it
can often yield to great results. The Tea Party is now a notable
political force even though it doesn’t fit the traditional
political two-party structure of republicans and democrats. The
party’s wins on Tuesday night justify that rules are only rules
if you accept them. Entrepreneurs should strive to create
products and services that differ greatly than those in the
status quo. Furthermore, their method of operation and company
culture should strive to break the traditional expectations. A
prime example of this is Google. Google was the first notable
company to provide their employees with time to work on personal
projects of their choice while being paid for it. To elaborate,
Google engineers are allowed 20% of their work time, or one day a week, to
work on things that they are passionate about. As a result,
Google has actually utilized some of its employees’ projects for
company use, some of which have resulted in successful Google
products. Traditional corporate business models would never allow
employees to get paid to work on personal things.

4. Treat Every Publicity Event As If It’s Your
Only

The media is your friend, but it can also be your enemy. Through
the long campaign season, politicians were on every news network
touting why they are better than their counterpart. Often times,
these publicity events can have a negative reaction. Politicians
can lose popularity from one bad public appearance. Because of
social media, any media appearance can be scrutinized and can
spread like wildfire. This is exemplified through the
off-the-cuff remarks made by candidates such as Carl Paladino,
gubernatorial candidate of New York, and Rand Paul, senator-elect
of Kentucky. For entrepreneurs, any time that you or your company
is in the news, your brand can greatly benefit or severely
suffer. If you misstate your product benefits, company vision or
customer satisfaction, your brand can be damaged. Be methodical,
be promoting, and most importantly, be careful.

5. Starting at the Grassroots Level Works

Mobilizing voters and getting customers to buy your product are
two very difficult things. Each is possible when the audience is
receptive to your message and sold on the value proposition.
Getting people excited about your message, or product, can allow
you to gain a tremendous advantage over your competitor, even
before you launch. The Tea Party became a legitimate political
force because of grassroots efforts of their members. Local
rallies, social media, and an unwavering support for the message
is what allowed the Tea Party to gain such traction.
Entrepreneurs should strive to create a grassroots campaign for
their products/services, even if they have not launched their
product yet. Explain to potential customers what your vision is,
why your company can make their lives better, and why you need
their support. When your customers get excited about your
company, they will become an extension and advocate of your
brand.

As the political landscape constantly changes, so does the
business environment. Success is based on the politician’s or
entrepreneur’s ability to learn, adapt and focus on what makes
their voters or customers happy. By staying informed on what
works, you provide your company or campaign with an advantage
over your competitor. Therefore, even though it may have been
annoying to have been bombarded by the political emails and
letters, we can now say that we learned something.